McNary Hunt

[JBG]

I don't hunt refuges but I do visit them in the spring. Stamp has always been the ticket for admittance. To pay extra seems very wrong.

I believe this is the only refuge in WA that does lottery reservations (and allows nonrez opportunity), builds and maintains blinds, pays staff to conduct checkin/checkout, and pays farmers to plant and allow(some) crops to remain standing all for $10/ person/hunt day.  That's quite a bit of juice for the squeeze if you think about it and I happily pay it everytime I go.   

[full choke]

I don't hunt refuges but I do visit them in the spring. Stamp has always been the ticket for admittance. To pay extra seems very wrong.

I believe this is the only refuge in WA that does lottery reservations (and allows nonrez opportunity), builds and maintains blinds, pays staff to conduct checkin/checkout, and pays farmers to plant and allow(some) crops to remain standing all for $10/ person/hunt day.  That's quite a bit of juice for the squeeze if you think about it and I happily pay it everytime I go.   

Don't you have to apply and pay at Ridgefield as well?

[bigtex]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[hdshot]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

[Platensek-po]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

Huh. Says that in 2015 we had a record number of ducks in the USA. Like literally never had more than that. It’s true that numbers have been down since then . But boy oh boy for someone who doesn’t hunt ducks anymore you sure do complain about it a lot. Seriously every post about waterfowl has a comment from you complaining about something. Hunting partners, access, now the stamp. Seriously either get some professional help to deal with your depression or just move on.

[ASHQUACK]

I don't hunt refuges but I do visit them in the spring. Stamp has always been the ticket for admittance. To pay extra seems very wrong.

I believe this is the only refuge in WA that does lottery reservations (and allows nonrez opportunity), builds and maintains blinds, pays staff to conduct checkin/checkout, and pays farmers to plant and allow(some) crops to remain standing all for $10/ person/hunt day.  That's quite a bit of juice for the squeeze if you think about it and I happily pay it everytime I go.   

Don't you have to apply and pay at Ridgefield as well?

Yes

[hdshot]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

Huh. Says that in 2015 we had a record number of ducks in the USA. Like literally never had more than that. It’s true that numbers have been down since then . But boy oh boy for someone who doesn’t hunt ducks anymore you sure do complain about it a lot. Seriously every post about waterfowl has a comment from you complaining about something. Hunting partners, access, now the stamp. Seriously either get some professional help to deal with your depression or just move on.

Basic math and basic facts shows our sport and gun rights need professional help for sure.  Just do some basic research and think just like how you described waterfowl numbers almost 10 years ago.  Sorry for me keeping up with the present instead of sounding like an old person talking about 2015.  Let me help you it is almost 2024.

[Big6bull]

Any recent reports? Wish they would update their website

[Edog]

They only update results monthly.

[Platensek-po]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

Huh. Says that in 2015 we had a record number of ducks in the USA. Like literally never had more than that. It’s true that numbers have been down since then . But boy oh boy for someone who doesn’t hunt ducks anymore you sure do complain about it a lot. Seriously every post about waterfowl has a comment from you complaining about something. Hunting partners, access, now the stamp. Seriously either get some professional help to deal with your depression or just move on.

Basic math and basic facts shows our sport and gun rights need professional help for sure.  Just do some basic research and think just like how you described waterfowl numbers almost 10 years ago.  Sorry for me keeping up with the present instead of sounding like an old person talking about 2015.  Let me help you it is almost 2024.

lol. You stated you have hunted waterfowl for the last 30 yrs and duck numbers “continue crashing.” That leads one to believe that you are stating that waterfowl numbers have been crashing for the last 30 yrs. Curious how you would know what waterfowl numbers look like when you don’t hunt anymore?? Oh well one more reason for you to stay glued to your couch and leave all this crappy hunting to the rest of us.

[Klickitatsteelie]

Hunting has been pretty bad. Not many ducks at all. Wife and I hunted Saturday the 23rd and shot a limit. When we checked out I looked at the log and we were the first blind to limit in 3 weeks. The guy at the check station said 5 blinds checked out before us and only shot 4 ducks for the 5 blinds.  It’s been an average of .8-1.8 ducks per person per day lately. We worked hard and played our cards right but definitely not many ducks down there. Regardless get out and grind, let the birds work and get them in the decoys.

[metlhead]

Refuges do a great part in the conservation of many species but shouldn't be used as a guage by which we measure total bird numbers in a given area. Permanent blinds do better after large weather events but will go stale quickly.

[Badhabit]

I knew along time ago not to report my kills at McNary. Internet scouters ruined actual harvest.

[hdshot]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

Huh. Says that in 2015 we had a record number of ducks in the USA. Like literally never had more than that. It’s true that numbers have been down since then . But boy oh boy for someone who doesn’t hunt ducks anymore you sure do complain about it a lot. Seriously every post about waterfowl has a comment from you complaining about something. Hunting partners, access, now the stamp. Seriously either get some professional help to deal with your depression or just move on.

Basic math and basic facts shows our sport and gun rights need professional help for sure.  Just do some basic research and think just like how you described waterfowl numbers almost 10 years ago.  Sorry for me keeping up with the present instead of sounding like an old person talking about 2015.  Let me help you it is almost 2024.

lol. You stated you have hunted waterfowl for the last 30 yrs and duck numbers “continue crashing.” That leads one to believe that you are stating that waterfowl numbers have been crashing for the last 30 yrs. Curious how you would know what waterfowl numbers look like when you don’t hunt anymore?? Oh well one more reason for you to stay glued to your couch and leave all this crappy hunting to the rest of us.

You just lack experience.  When I first started hunting some parents would not let their kids hunt ducks because they didn’t want their freezer filled in less than a day.  Why are you being a bully?  I know most hunters support that behavior but doesn’t mean you have to.  Basically yes duck populations have been crashing longer than 30 years and luckily for you it was recognized long ago or you would have nothing to hunt today.  If all people thought like you then why is there conservation?

[Dan-o]

Costs money to hunt a refuge? What a joke that'd be. Kinda figrd our duck stamp was still worth something

Duck stamp dollars go to refuge land acquisition. Not refuge maintenance, staffing, etc.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hunted waterfowl for about 30 years and the stamp did nothing as advertised while duck numbers continue crashing. Access only gets worse while seasons get better on paper only.

Huh. Says that in 2015 we had a record number of ducks in the USA. Like literally never had more than that. It’s true that numbers have been down since then . But boy oh boy for someone who doesn’t hunt ducks anymore you sure do complain about it a lot. Seriously every post about waterfowl has a comment from you complaining about something. Hunting partners, access, now the stamp. Seriously either get some professional help to deal with your depression or just move on.

Basic math and basic facts shows our sport and gun rights need professional help for sure.  Just do some basic research and think just like how you described waterfowl numbers almost 10 years ago.  Sorry for me keeping up with the present instead of sounding like an old person talking about 2015.  Let me help you it is almost 2024.

lol. You stated you have hunted waterfowl for the last 30 yrs and duck numbers “continue crashing.” That leads one to believe that you are stating that waterfowl numbers have been crashing for the last 30 yrs. Curious how you would know what waterfowl numbers look like when you don’t hunt anymore?? Oh well one more reason for you to stay glued to your couch and leave all this crappy hunting to the rest of us.

You just lack experience.  When I first started hunting some parents would not let their kids hunt ducks because they didn’t want their freezer filled in less than a day.  Why are you being a bully?  I know most hunters support that behavior but doesn’t mean you have to.  Basically yes duck populations have been crashing longer than 30 years and luckily for you it was recognized long ago or you would have nothing to hunt today.  If all people thought like you then why is there conservation?

I'm a casual waterfowler, but I'm still getting ducks when I do go.

Where are you getting your information?

I snipped this from the DU Homepage:
Total populations were estimated at 34.2 million breeding ducks in the traditional survey area, 12 percent lower than 2019’s estimate of 38.9 million and 4 percent below the long-term average (since 1955).

4 percent below the Long Term Average since 1955 doesn't seem like a population crash to me.